Tuesday, October 22, 2013

U.S. Embassy Tallinn hosted its first “Teaching Tolerance through English” Camp from August 12-18, 2013. Twenty-five boys and girls aged 10
to 14 years from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania came together for one week to
learn about diversity, how to counter bullying, and how to act as a positive
force in their communities. While campers’ native languages were Estonian,
Latvian, Lithuanian and Russian, all activities were conducted in
English. This year’s was the third camp in a series in the Baltics, with
the two previous having been held in Latvia.

Lithuanian students teach fellow Estonian and Latvian campers about their culture

Five Lithuanian students—two fifth graders and three sixth
graders—from Pumpenai Secondary School attended the event, along with Ms. Olga
Daugene, who provided instruction on English as a Foreign Language. They, along
with their peers from Latvia and Estonia, engaged in an interactive session
with U.S. Ambassador to Estonia Jeffrey Levine, through which they gained an
insight into American culture, even learning to make S’mores around a campfire.

Ambassador Levine shares thoughts on tolerance, acceptance, and the value of diversity

In addition to sessions highlighting U.S. themes, the camp
also featured a visit from local pop star Dave Benton, who delivered a
presentation on the importance of tolerance. Benton’s life story – spanning his
birth in Aruba, immigration to the U.S., a thriving pop career, and eventual
move to Estonia in 1997 where he became a local music figure and the winner of
the 2001 Eurovision Contest – had a profound impact on the gathered campers,
many of whom had limited exposure to racial diversity and the stories of
non-European immigrants. Benton shared his favorite childhood tales and
his thoughts on what tolerance means. He also discussed the horrible
ramifications of bullying and intolerance, and the importance of being kind to
everyone, despite real or perceived differences.

Pop Star Dave Benton talks about the importance of tolerance

Throughout the week, campers participated in a stream of activities,
which ranged from a role-play session in which the children acted out a variety
of bullying scenarios and devised their own approaches to counter aggressive
and demeaning behavior, to another in which campers engaged in an on-air mock
interview to help with their English speaking skills. Campers also tackled a
number of creative challenges designed to highlight the value of diversity in
our lives, like learning dances from different countries, including a U.S. class
on square dancing, and writing tolerance-themed proverbs. Finally,
collaborative projects that invited everyone’s involvement – including
designing the camp flag –ensured that everyone felt part of the larger
community. A uniting theme of “all together” concluded the week of activities. Campers participated in a series of arts and
crafts events, and then a graduation ceremony, in which they received diplomas
signed by the U.S. Ambassador to Estonia!

Campers work together on arts and crafts activities

The camp will take place again in Estonia in 2014. Then, U.S.Embassy Vilnius is proud to announce that it will move to Lithuania for 2015
and 2016. Through these and other ongoing programs, Baltic youth can continue
to gain from the experience of coming together to learn about tolerance,
improve their English language skills, and make new, diverse friends.
Indeed, the relationships forged through this and previous years’ camps are
already bridging significant national, linguistic and cultural borders.
As one young camper put it, “It’s great to have friends who don’t speak your
own language!”

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